Public Statements

Congressman Boehner: Democrats Fail to Lead While GOP Continues Taking Action on Jobs

Press Conference

At a press conference with Republican leaders today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) faulted President Obama and Senate Democrats for their "failure to lead" on helping the private sector create jobs, and replacing the president's sequester that threatens our economy and our security. Following are excerpts of Congressman Boehner's remarks:

"You know, millions of Americans are out of work and continuing to ask the question, "Where are the jobs?'

"They're looking at the president and you know what they see? They see a failure to lead.

"They see failed economic policies. They see the Senate's -- the Democrat-controlled Senate's - inaction on the 40 plus jobs bills that we've sent there. And what do they see there? Another failure to lead.

"Republicans have passed over 40 jobs bills that are sitting in the United States Senate. We voted to stop all the tax hikes. We voted to replace the sequester. And where's the leadership from the other side? Where's the president's plan to replace [the] sequester? Where's the president's plan to help our economy. A failure to lead.

"You know, [today] we'll pass a bill to stop the president's gutting of the work requirements in welfare. It was one of the most successful parts of our welfare reform plan passed in 1996 for those able-bodied welfare recipients a requirement that they seek work. And it's put millions of Americans to work and lifted them out of poverty, and to gut these rules at this point in time is a giant step backwards.

"Tomorrow the House will vote to stop the president's war on coal. We've got the cheapest form of energy. We're the Saudi Arabia of coal and the president wants to shut down coal production and the use of coal in the United States so that we can export it to our economic competitors around the world. The House is going to speak once again that this is a big step in the wrong direction."